An important function of most shelving and rack systems and workstations is the ability to increase storage and working space. A number of improvements to shelving and rack systems and workstations have improved the ability of such structures to perform these functions. However, significant limitations still exist in the design and assembly of conventional shelving systems, racks and workstations. These limitations are most apparent in highly competitive industries in which space, assembly and adjustment time, and reliability are at a premium. One such industry is the food service industry, where each of these factors plays a significant role in the success and profitability of a business. Therefore, although the present invention (and the problems that exist in conventional shelving systems, racks, and workstations referred to below) is discussed with reference to the food service industry, it should be noted that the present invention is applicable to and solves similar problems in any industry employing shelving systems, racks, and workstations. Examples of such industries include retail stores in which merchandise is displayed and stored, laboratories and shops where storage and work space are needed, and warehouses in which any type of product is organized and stored.
The food service industry is extremely competitive and relies upon efficiency, timeliness and service as cornerstones to distinguish between individual food service businesses. Accordingly, increased resource utilization is a primary goal for most food service businesses, and can significantly impact profitability of such businesses. For example, kitchen work space and/or food storage space is an important resource in the food service industry because of the limited space typically available for such purposes. Varying the sizes and layouts of kitchen and storage space calls for varying types, kinds and sizes of shelves, racks, and workstations. These structures typically consist of vertical supports, horizontal storage and support structures, and connecting elements for connecting the horizontal storage and support structures to the vertical supports.
Hereinafter, the term “shelf” or “shelves” refers to any storage and support surface used to support product or upon which work can be performed above ground level. In the food service industry for example, such functions include the storage of food, packaging, cleaning supplies and equipment, and support for food preparation, cooking, serving, and dishwashing equipment and operations.
In the food service industry, it is normally desirable for shelving systems and workstations to be inexpensive, modular, adjustable, easy to assemble and disassemble, easy to clean and reliable. Conventional shelving systems and workstations do not always satisfy such criteria or provide the optimal features necessary to accomplish the goals desired. Specifically, many conventional shelving systems and workstations are often expensive, difficult to clean, assemble, disassemble, and adjust. Also, conventional systems often lack the modularity necessary to meet a wide variety of environments or prove to be unreliable.
For obvious reasons, it is an important feature that food service shelving systems and workstations be easy to clean. However, many conventional shelving systems and workstations employ vertical support posts having a generally C-shaped cross section with one or more internal cavities. Because the internal cavities are difficult to access, such posts are difficult to clean. In addition, the support posts of many conventional shelf systems and workstations have slots and other apertures for connecting shelves thereto. These apertures are typically small, and do not facilitate easy or thorough cleaning of interior locations which need to be cleaned.
As mentioned above, the assembly and disassembly of many conventional shelving systems and workstations is time-consuming and difficult. This inefficiency is compounded in many cases in which the shelving systems and workstations must be frequently moved, requiring the workstations to be partially or fully assembled and disassembled. Also, many conventional shelving systems and workstations have shelves constructed of several elements that must be assembled. In many designs, these shelves include two side brackets, a cross member connecting the side brackets, and connecting elements for connecting the shelves to the support posts. Assembling and disassembling such shelves can add significant time to the overall assembly process.
In many conventional shelving systems and workstations, shelves are welded or otherwise permanently attached to vertical support posts, making the shelving system or workstation a single integral structure (or defining large subassemblies in such shelving systems and workstations). This makes the shelving systems and workstations more difficult to move due to the size and weight of the integral assemblies or subassemblies. Also, by permanently attaching the shelves to support posts, the shelving systems and workstations can only be arranged in a single configuration. Other conventional shelving systems and workstations assemble shelves and support posts by using mechanical fasteners such as screws, bolts, and pins. Assembling the shelving systems and workstations with mechanical fasteners can be difficult and time consuming, and is often undesirable because tools are needed to properly assemble the shelving systems and workstations.
Still other conventional shelving systems and workstations include other connecting elements for connecting shelves to support posts. For example, some shelving systems and workstations employ pins welded incrementally along the back surface of vertical support posts. Shelves are mounted to these pins by saddle brackets (brackets that are C-shaped and surround the vertical support posts on the front, side and back surfaces thereof). Although popular, the use of such saddle brackets makes assembly of the shelving systems and workstations difficult for a number of reasons. Specifically, these saddle brackets must often be mounted on each vertical support post from the side of the shelving system or workstation, which can be a difficult procedure due to tight space constraints adjacent to the shelving system or workstation.
Many types of conventional shelf brackets (including many saddle brackets) also present problems and inefficiencies to assemblers of the associated shelving systems and workstations. In particular, the steps required to assemble the shelves and brackets are often difficult and time consuming. For example, many brackets (including saddle brackets) are difficult and time consuming to assemble to shelves and to connect to vertical support posts because they provide no immediate visual feedback to confirm that the brackets have been properly connected to the vertical support posts. This is because many conventional brackets connect to pins extending from the rear surface of the vertical support posts. Therefore, a person assembling the workstation from the front or the side cannot see the back surface of the vertical support posts where the brackets mount to the pins. In many cases, the assembler may incorrectly believe that the saddle brackets are properly mounted with the pins. Because many shelving systems and workstations are large and heavy and are often used to support significant loads, this assembly error can result in serious injury and damage to equipment.
Another important issue relevant to shelving systems and workstations is strength and reliability. Shelving systems and workstations that are strong, sturdy, and reliable are highly desirable in the food service business and in any other industry. Unfortunately, however, many conventional shelving system and workstation designs sacrifice strength and reliability for other features, including manufacturability, material and costs savings, adjustability, and other features. By way of example only, C-channel vertical support posts are commonly used for purposes of cost and adjustability of elements connected at various positions therealong. However, such support posts can be significantly weaker than support posts having other shapes (e.g., round or rectangular closed tubular support posts).
As another example, the shelves of many conventional shelving systems and workstations are assembled from multiple elements, which can present strength, assembly, and stability issues. In some designs, the multiple-piece shelves typically have two brackets (one bracket mounted to each vertical support post) and a shelf that lies across the bracket tops. Improper assembly of the shelf and brackets can cause the shelf to fall or break in use.
Other conventional shelving systems and workstations have shelves that mount to the vertical support posts by mechanical fasteners such as screws and bolts. Mechanical fasteners can be unreliable if they are not sufficiently tightened or are improperly tightened, and introduce a far greater likelihood of assembly error than other manners of mounting shelves.
Still other conventional shelving systems and workstations attempt to address this issue by employing pins or posts welded to one surface of the vertical support posts and to which shelf brackets can be mounted. However, by welding the pins to only one surface of the vertical support posts, the entire weight of each shelf is transferred to the weld. This concentration of weight raises undesirable weld stress issues that reduce the attractiveness of such shelving system and workstation designs.
Many conventional shelving systems and workstations have limited weight-bearing capacity. In some cases, the shelving systems and workstations are constructed of light gauge shelves and light-gauge vertical support posts that are incapable of supporting large amounts of weight. Also, some conventional workstations have weak connectors used to connect shelves to the vertical support posts. Such design features restrict these shelving systems and workstations to light-duty use, and can limit shelving system and workstation life expectancies.
In light of the problems and limitations of the prior art described above, a need exists for shelving systems and workstations that are easy to clean thoroughly, are easy and quick to assemble, provide an adjustable and reliable connection between shelves and vertical support posts, and can support a relatively large amount of weight. Each preferred embodiment of the present invention achieves one or more of these results.